Hope Pierce: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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   I honestly didn't know what to expect when we started reading this book. I thought it was going to be another one of those stuffy and boring "adolescent" books that was actually geared towards a more adult audience. I did not expect to love Arnold and his story. I honestly was hooked after the first chapter, and there is really no explanation for it except for Arnold's voice is so powerful and moving that it just compelled me to continue reading about his life. Throughout the entire novel I wanted so badly to reach through the pages and just hug Arnold and let him know that someone cared about him, and that someone heard him. He is such a strong individual that has this amazing ability to see the silver-lining although he endures so much in such a short amount of time in his young life. Also Arnold's drawings were just as captivating as his words. Many times his drawings revealed more about his feelings and thought process than his actual words did, especially when it came to him grieving his grandmother, Eugene, and his sister.
 
   One of the great things about this book is that for many adolescents it is relatable. I can say that I think that Arnold and I are tender spirits when it comes to being part-timers. I've faced something similar to Arnold's dilemma for a good chunk of my life. Up until college I was part-time black. I, like Arnold went to a pretty much all white high school whose kids were privileged because the one in my area was not so great. I had a hard time fitting in and was called an Oreo (black on the outside, white on the inside) by both my black friends and my white peers as well. It was hard and discouraging. I mean having to go through not only an identity crisis, but a racial identity crisis in high school at the age of 15 is tough. Constantly second guessing yourself and acting one way at school that helps you fit in, but then going home and shedding the mask takes its toll on a kid. I wish that I had known about this book my freshman year of high school. It would have given me some peace to know that there was someone out there that knew what I was going through and what it is like to be forced to live a double life at such a young age.

   When looking at this book as an adaptation of adolescence, I would say that is is a correct portrayal on the more general topics like identity, self-discovery, and the basic things that go through teenage boy's minds at that time. Some things that Arnold experienced stemmed directly from him being an Indian, things that mostly adolescent minorities would be more familiar with. I do think that Alexie successfully captures the essence of an adolescent that is relatable and understandable. This book has most definitely been added to my very exclusive list of all time favorites.



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